Rekeying vs. Changing Locks in Washington DC
Moving into a historic rowhouse in Capitol Hill, losing your keys on the Metro, or dealing with a difficult roommate departure in Adams Morgan all lead to the same instinct: change the locks immediately.
In practice, “changing your locks” means two different things: lock replacement or lock rekeying. Knowing the difference saves money and gets the right result for your situation.
What Does it Mean to Rekey a Lock?
Rekeying is the process of altering the internal mechanics of a lock so that the old key no longer works, and a brand new key operates it instead.
How it works: A licensed locksmith removes the lock cylinder from your door, extracts the tiny cylindrical pins inside, and replaces them with a different configuration of pins. They then cut a brand new key to match the new heights of the pins.
When to choose Rekeying:
- You have lost your keys and fear they might be found by someone with bad intentions.
- You have just bought a new home or moved into a new apartment and want to invalidate any copies held by previous owners or contractors.
- Your current door hardware is perfectly functional, stylish, and highly secure (like a premium Schlage or Kwikset lock), and you simply want to reset the access.
- You want the convenience of having one single key unlock your front, back, and side doors (assuming the locks share the same brand keyway).
The Bottom Line: Rekeying is highly efficient and much more practical than buying entirely new locksets, as you are only paying for labor and new keys, not expensive heavy hardware.
What Does it Mean to Change (Replace) a Lock?
Replacing a lock means entirely removing the old lock housing, cylinder, and strike plate from the door and installing a brand new, out-of-the-box locking mechanism.
When to choose Replacement:
- Your current locks are severely rusted, corroded, or jammed after years of exposure to harsh DC winters.
- Your locks have been structurally damaged by an attempted break-in or burglary.
- You currently have cheap, basic builder-grade turn-knobs and want to upgrade to High-Security Deadbolts (like Medeco or Mul-T-Lock) to resist lock bumping and picking.
- You want to transition from traditional mechanical keys to modern Smart Keypad Locks or biometric access systems.
Fast, Local Security with DC Local Locksmith
Not sure which option fits your situation? Call DC Local Locksmith. We will consult on your current hardware and provide exact quotes for both rekeying and replacement over the phone. The quote is the total.
Our mobile technicians are stationed throughout the District. Simple rekey or complete security upgrade, we dispatch the nearest available technician the moment you call. Every technician we dispatch is vetted and fully licensed, bonded, and insured in DC.
Call DC Local Locksmith at (202) 830-0706 for an exact quote.
